Europe April sales by brand and model: MG, Cupra, Bentley report strong gains

MG Motor increased sales in Europe 160 percent in April, helped by strong demand for the ZS EV and HS plug-in hybrid compact crossover.

Cupra had a triple-digit percentage sales increase on demand for the Formentor SUV, which registered a sales gain of nearly 120 percent.

Volvo-backed, subscription-focused newcomer Lynk & CO also had a strong month with 2,239 registrations, which was nearly as many as sibling brand Polestar's 2,640, which was an increase of 82 percent on April 2021 for the EV maker.

Bentley, DS, Tesla, Hyundai and Kia had double-digit sales percentage increases in an overall European market that was down by 20 percent.

Also among the 24 brands that recorded gains during the month were Rolls-Royce, Honda, Maserati and Dacia, according to figures from market researcher Dataforce.

The semiconductor shortages and supply constraints caused by the war in Ukraine were the main reason for the region's sales decline.

Tesla was up 20 percent, helped by strong demand for the Model Y, which were Europe's No. 2-selling EV after four months.

Other brands that gained volume were Bentley (+46 percent, with help from the Bentayga SUV), DS (+20 percent on demand for the DS4), Hyundai (+14 percent thanks to the full-electric Ioniq 5) and Kia (+11 percent on brisk sales of the Sportage SUV).

Brands that recorded declines but still beat the market included Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, Porsche and Toyota.